Loose leaf binder



Feb. 8, 1938.

Filed April 19 19311 2 Sheets-Sheet l Il ...l l lill.

.7U 3 w 3 s P. Y .m M M M a w w M N n Il! 9 .e d 3 www ,JU l y I h n Y lD /v 7. fu 7 `3 a ,au` 9 a J r J e 59 f 0% /.33 /3 I 5 zw ny IFHVHI @N Z m 4 i 4 s l MQW u la 2 /7 .HJ 4l W Feb. 8, 1938. A W, MCCLURE 2,107,869 l LOOSE,LEAF BINDER Filed April 19 1934 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 /NvfNTon 'W/r/vcss l l' rroR/v rs Patented lFeb. 8, 1938 l UNlTED i STATES PATENT OFFICE LOOSE LEAF BINDER Arthur W. McClure, Syracuse, N. Y., assi'gnor to McMillan Book Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application yApril 19, 1934, serial No. 721,320

" l z claims. (o1. 12s-24) Y y This` invention relates tov improvements inr a Figurel is a detail longitudinal sectional view loose leaf binder in which 'straight ,leaf-impaling taken substantially in the plane of the line 4-4,

vosts are releasably secured at Iboth ends to ra Y Figure 2. respective side of the binder. f Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of i "Thermain object of the invention is to produce the pintle slide with portions thereof breken away Ya'floose leaf binder of the aboveA mentioned .classr and illustrating the laten member fOr releesably V.with improved means for automatically securing maintaining the pintle slide in the inoperative the leaf-impaling posts in the hinder, as thcf Position. binder is being closed, Figure 6 is a detail transverse sectional view A more specific object of the invention resides teken 0n line 56, Figure 4- l0 inproviding a loose leaf binder with simplycon- The loose leaf binder as illustrated in the drawstructed means set into operation by the closing ings comprises primarily e back member l, ilWO Y l of a cover, for automatically and accurately alin- Cover members 2 and' 3, and e Deir 0f leef-impelving the ends of the impalmg posts with the post ing post retaining members 4, positioned one at i retaining rrieans',` whereby the retainingv means either longitudinal side of the back member adl5 may readily moveinto'holding engagement with ieeent a respective Cover. The Covers 2 and 3 tneposts, y l vin this instance, are pivotally connected to the `Incarrying out the above mentioned objects, beek member. The beek member 1| may be 00n- I `have utilized a loose leaf binder of well known Silueied in any Well knOWn manner and in this v laofconstruction and which comprises a plurality of instance, is made concavo-convex in cross sec- 1 .straight leaf-impaling posts and post retaining tion, whilethe means for pivotally securing the means, including a pair of housings secured one covers 2 and 3 to the back member consists of a at a respective side of the binder, said housings hinge plate 5. Which 1S formed concave-@DVSX "fhavingalined apertures in theowalls thereof for in cross section and is secured to the concave or Y aerreceiving the ends of the posts therethrough. A inner Side 0f the back member by any Suitable 25 Y pintle slide is mounted in each housing for re- Ineens SuCh aS riVetS 5, 0r their equivalen@ The leasably engaging the respective ends of the posts hinge Diete 5 has eeen vlOngitulinl edge thereof to secure the posts to the housing and, therefore, extended a short distance beyond the correspondf to the binder. i ing edge of the back member! and formed with Y fflfurthenv I have provided suchv a loose leaf @plurality 0f longitudinally Spaeed hinge eye- 30 `binder with means adapted as the back and cover lets 1. f members move to the closed position, to first The covers 2 and 3 are constructed preferably g Vautomatically eiect the alinement of the loose Vor fIOIn Cardboard, 01 Similar material, in lille 00nfree ends'rof the leaf-impaling posts with respecventional manner and in this instance, each cover 35 tive openingsin the adjacent pintle slide housing,vr has a hinge strap 8 positioned therein interme 35 y, andthen to cause said ends of the posts to enter d iate the inner and outer surfaces at the inner the openingsrand aline with the pintles of the lOngitudinal edge theleOf and Which may be seslide, after'vvhich the pintle slide is'automatically Cured t0 the COVel in any Suitable manner eS by vcaused/to operatively engage the posts for securrivets 9. The hinge straps 8 are secured to the 40 ing vsaid posts'to the housing. respective ends of the hinge plate 5 by means of 40 Other objects and advantages relate to the depintle IOdS l0.

l f 4 tails ofthe structure, and to the form and rela- The post retaining members 4 as hereinbefore "tion of the parts thereof, all aswill more fully stated-are positionedadjaeent a'reSpeCtiVe l0ngii appearV fromthefolloWing description taken in tudinal side vor" the back member andare arconnectionV Y.lilith-the accompanying drawings, in ranged, when the covers are in the closed posi- 45 Y Which'y y, Y tion, to lie just inside of the inner hinged edge ",Figure 1' is a perspective View of a loose leaf Aof a corresponding cover. These retaining mem- *binder embodying 'the various -features of f #this bers are substantially identical in construction, so

v invention. Y, that a description of onewill'answer for a com-A f Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional prehensive understanding of them both. .to

viewthroughthe back portion of the binder taken Each of the retaining members 4 consists of a substantially on line 22,-Figure 1. tubular housing I2 formed in this instance of Figure?, isa longitudinal sectionalvietv taken sheet'metal bent substantially U-shape to form online 3-3,"Figure,2, and illustrating the cena chamber I3 with the outer portion of the legs trai portion' 0fV the binderbroken away.. v thereof extended inwardly in superposed relation adjacent the inner face of the hinge plate 5, and are secured to each other and to the plate 5 by any suitable means, as by spot welding. The housings I2 have portions of the inner edges thereof cut away to form alined longitudinally spaced openings i4, each adapted to receive therethrough an end of a respective post I5.

The posts I5 in this instance are rectangular in cross section and have each end thereof provided with an opening I6 extending transversely therethrough. These openings are adapted, when the posts are in the leaf holding position with the ends thereof positioned in a respective opening I4 of the housing, to register with the corresponding chamber I3 of the housing and adapted to receive a respective pintle II provided on a pintle slide I8 mounted in each housing I2.

'Ihe pintle slide I8 in this instance, is a relatively long thin bar provided with recesses I9 in the longitudinal edge thereof adjacent the openings IS, and has pintles I'I' secured thereto to project.y intorespective openings I9 and adapted, when the slide is in its innermost position, to extend across corresponding openings I4 of the housing for engaging respective posts I5.

The slide i8 is normally urged inwardly to its innermost position with the pintles extending across the openings I5 by means of a coil spring 20, which has one end thereof secured `to the pintle slide and the other end connected with the housing I2, as shown in Figure 4. The slide I8 may be manually moved outwardly against the action of the spring 2U by any suitable means such as a finger piece or nob 2I secured to the outer end of an extension 22 connected with one end of the slide I8, and which projects outwardly through the chamber I3. The finger piece 2l is so mounted on the extension 22 that the slide will be maintained in its innermost position against the action of the spring 20 by the engagement thereof with the adjacent end of the housing I2, as illustrated in Figure 4.

Means is also provided for releasably maintaining the pintle slide I8 in its outermost inoperative position with the pintles I 1 positioned adjacent one side of the corresponding openings I4 against the action of the spring 20. This holding means consists, in this instance, of a latch 24 positioned in the chamber I3 near the inner end of the pintle slide I8. The latch 24 is, as shown in Figure 4, pivotally connected at one end by a pin 25 to the housing I2. The latch 24 extends inwardly from the pivot 25 and has the inner end thereof adapted to move into the path of movement of the pintle slide and engage the inner end thereof, when the said slide is in its outermost or inoperative position, for holding the slide in said inoperative position against the action of the spring 20. The inner end of the latch 24 is normally urged toward the outer or rounded wall of the chamber i3 into the path of movement of the slide I8 by a coil spring 26 mounted in the recess 21, provided in the latch 24 intermediate the pivot 25 and the inner end thereof, said spring having one end engaging the inner side wall of said chamber. The inner end of the latch 24 is relatively narrow in cross section and is adapted as illustrated in Figure 4, when the pintle slide I8 is in its innermost operative position, to extend along the inner edge of the slide between the said slide and the inner edge of the chamber I3.

In order that the latch 24 may be moved inwardly against the action of the spring 26 out of the path of movement of the slide I8, I have provided said latch with an outwardly projecting pin 29 which extends outwardly through a suitable aperture provided in the wall of the housing I2.y This pin is adaptedwhen the latch is in its operative position in holding engagement with the slide I8 to extend outwardly beyond the inner face of the housing I2 in the path of movement of the inner adjacent longitudinal edge of a cover 2 or 3 so that when the cover is moved to the closed position, the pin or Vmember 2e will be engaged by the inner edge of the cover and moved inwardly thereby sufciently to bring the inner end of the latch '24 out of holding engagement with the slide I8.

In order that the covers may efcaciously effect thev release of the latch 24, I have provided each cover with a reinforcing plate 3@ which, in this instance, is L-shaped in cross section. Each plate has one leg thereof positioned adjacent the inner face of the respective cover while the other or shorter leg 33 of the plate extends outwardly along the inner longitudinal edge of the cover as illustrated in Figures 2 and 6. 'Ihe plates 3% may be secured to the respective cover in any suitable manner as by the rivets 9. These reinforcing plates 3l) extend longitudinally of the covers from within a short distance of one end to within a short distance of the otherend, and are adapted, when the covers are being moved to the closed position, to engage the adjacent ends of the posts I5 and move said posts into the corresponding openings I4 of the housing I2, and bring the openings I6 of the posts into alinement with the pintles I'I. Y

It will now be observed that when one end of the posts I5 is released by movement of the corresponding pintles I1 out of engagement therewith, the back member I and the cover connected therewith adjacent the released end of the posts, may swing outwardly about the pintle hinge AIii at the opposite side of the binder away from the posts and leaves mounted on said posts. These leaves as 33 are mounted on the'posts I5 in the conventional manner and for this purpose they are provided with the customary openings arranged in longitudinal spaced relation along one edge for receiving the posts therethrough.

When the posts are connected at only one end to the back member through the medium of the retaining member 4, the posts are maintained in their upright position by theleaves 33. Therefore due to the ease in which the leaves may move relative to each other, and assume an askew position, the free ends of the posts very often become mov-ed out of alinement so that when the detached retaining member is brought forwardly, as the back I is moved to the upright position, the free ends of the posts will be out of alinement with the openings It in the housing I2. It is, therefore, desirous and quite necessary when automatically securing the posts in the binder, that some means be provided for again bringing the free ends of the posts into position to readily enter the housing openings as the binder is being closed. For this purpose, I have provided the back member I with an alining means which consists of an abutting plate 35 secured at the inner concave side of a hinge plate 5 in spaced relation thereto by means'of three shouldered studs 36. These studs are secured to the back member by means of respective supporting strips 31 preferably composed of metal and which have the ends thereof secured by spot Welding, or other means, to the adjacent portion of theV legs ofthe housings I2. p I

-The abutting plate 35 is rectangularin plan view andr extends longitudinally of theback memyber between the retaining housings I2 in such relation to said housings that when the posts are secured at both ends to the housings I2, the inner vedge of the leaves 33 mounted on the posts will abut'pagainst the abutting plate 35. Furthermore, the plate 35 is provided at each end with out- 'jwar'dly projecting Vportions which extend at substantially right angles to said plate. across the adjacent side of the leaves 33. These portions 39 *are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the-width of said leaves to form guide members adapted to engage the sides of the leaves adia- Ycent said inner edges and each guide portion has the outer free side thereof bent outwardly as at v 139i to enable the ready engagement thereof with 20 the leaves. Y f

'It V may now be readily understood that when the binder is in the open position with one end of the posts released, the sides of the leaves will first 'f be engaged by the guide members 39, as the back member I is swung forwardly about the axis of the L pintle rod VII) at the attached side of the binder toward the leaves and thereby bring the sides of the leaves into alinement with each other. As the back approaches the normal upright position, the rear edge of the leaves will be engaged by the f Yabutting plater 35 and be alined thereby, with the Yresult'that as the leaves are thus brought into i symmetrical relation one with another, the posts I5 will Abe moved thereby into such apositionithat I ,the free ends thereof will.y be in alinement with the openings I4 in the housing I2, as said'housing approaches the free ends of the posts. `As the back member I approaches its normal upright position, the swinging of the cover adjacent the free ends of the posts about the pintle I yfrom vthe open to the closed position will cause the inner longitudinal edge of the cover,for more specifically, the leg 30' of the reinforcing plate 30, to engage the upper or free ends of the posts, as 'illustrated by broken lines in Figure 2, and force said ends yof the posts into the respective openings Illvof .the'housing I2 to bring the openings I5`of the 4posts into alinement with the pintles I'I. As the cover 2 lapproachesthev closed position, the pin 29 of the latch M 'Will be engaged by the leg 30'v Vofthe plate 30 and automatically move the latch out of holding engagement with the pintle slide mana permit said snde to be moved inward- 1y by the spring 20 so that the pintles I1 will come into Vholding engagement with the free ends of the posts I and secure said posts to the housing i. I2 in the leaf holding position.

f Although I have shown and particularly described thepreferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the exact con- Y struction shown as various changes both in the form and relation ofthe parts thereof may readily be made without departing from the spirit of this inventiony as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a loose leaf binder, a binder covering comprising a back member and a pair of covers hinged with respect to the back member, a plurality of impaling posts for retaining a quantity of paper, said posts being connected at one end to the binder covering, means for releasably securing the other or free end of the posts to the binder covern ing including a housing secured to the binder covering having openings for receiving the free ends of the posts, a slide in the housing movable into and out of holding engagement with the posts, means secured to the back member and engageable with the rear and side edges of the sheetsv of paper as the back and corresponding coverr are being moved toward a position to reassemble the binder, said means serving to l'straighten up the stack of paper and thereby bring the posts into approximate alinement, means secured to the binder covering for moving the posts into the openings in said housing as one cover is moved toward a closed position, and

means automatically set into operation when the cover is closed for bringing the slide into operative holding engagement with the posts.

2. In a loose leaf binder, a binder covering comprising a back member, a pair of hinges secured to the longitudinal edges of the back member and a pair of covers secured to said hinges, a. plurality of impaling posts for retaining a quantity of paper, said posts being connected at the same ends to the fbinder covering, a plate, secured to the inner side of the back member and having portions thereof extendingperpendicular to the back member and adapted to engage the side edges of the stack of paper, a post aligning member secured to the binder covering, a housing carried by the binder .covering having openings therein for the reception of the other ends of the posts, a slide mounted in the housing having pintles for engaging said other ends of the posts, said slide being manually movable to disengage the pintles from the ends l of the posts, spring means for normally urging the said slide in a direction such that the pintles engage said posts, retaining means for holding said vslide'so that the pintles are retained out of post 

